Drawing Is Therapy

West Coast Black Mussel: Soft Pastel on A2

I didn't get to the water colours but I did get my fingers deliciously smudgy dirty with the chalk pastels. These shells are some of my favourite finds. They bend, peel and bleach beautifully to reveal that dusky blueish purple underneath. I haven't worked in pastel for years and I forgot how just much I love the medium.

It is like being a kid again :)

Just Add Water

by Tanja Wilmot

Anyone recognise the landscape? Yes, it's the Karoo :) See more here

I came across Tanja's blog quite by chance and just fell in love with her water colours. I've always wanted to do water colour well, but it's much harder than it looks - so these are my inspiration.

Wild flowers by Tanja Wilmot

Now I have to go find something to draw/paint & enjoy the weekend.

What Can I Say...

A deep chocolate cupcake topped with an Oreo & butter-icing from Lady Cupcake

I joined my students for a drawing class yesterday, armed with a spectacular cupcake - specially chosen for it's lovely contrasting colours of deep dark chocolate and rich soft velvety, creamy, buttery icing - topped with a equally dark but richly detailed Oreo and of course the generally plump dimensions of the whole soft, moist, crumbly, smooth, crunchy, did I say deep chocolaty? creation which makes it ideal for drawing with colour pencil.

The cupcake was better than it had any right to be

Hoot If You Like Twitter

 

I'm lucky enough to live right opposite the Rietvlei wetlands area that teems with bird life.  Generally the wetlands flood after a good wet winter, which means the birds are much closer to the edge and so easier to see and photograph. Now, I am no twitcher; but I do like to watch birds (as you might've noticed) and so I went to spy on the noisy social life of our feathered friends - I'm glad to report a great time was had by all!

Stop While You Can!

We spent our long weekend on the West Coast. Going up, there were beautiful patches of the famous flowers - but we wanted to get there - so no stopping for photo moments, and of course coming back after the stormy weather - no such luck. When will I learn just to stop, and enjoy the moment!?

At least the flamingo's didn't seem to mind the lack of sunshine as much as the flowers and they're pretty too :)

Die Antwoord!

Baby's on fire!

 A sure cure for cabin fever brown is taking yourself outside... 

and a good dose of seasonal orange, hot, hot, hot orange.

Even the bees were gorging themselves.

I Feel Brown...

...coffee/latte/chocolate/brick/rust/leather/dull/dust/terracotta/mud/70's/mocca/milo/paint/cardboard/teak/tent/stew/compost/carpet/warm/treacle/dry/clipboard/desert/deep/dark, brown...
oh, and a bit blue